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De Domizio credits NPL NSW Women’s competition for A-League Women’s opportunity

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Promising attacking star Kiara De Domizio has praised the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition as the stepping-stone towards nailing an A-League Women’s contract with Western United thanks to a solid season at Sydney Olympic.

“The NPL NSW Women’s competition is undoubtedly one of the most competitive and highly ranked competitions across Australia,” De Domizio stated to Football NSW.

“The platform that it provides for players wishing to make it A-League Women’s is very important.

“I believe that the league has seen continuous growth in quality and the calibre of players year on year.

“This has been vital in helping me develop as a footballer.

“It is also fantastic to see improvements in facilities for NPL NSW Womens teams, the media and NPL TV, which all provided a supportive environment for female footballers to thrive.”

Having debuted with Sydney Olympic as a 17-year-old, De Domizio was part of the NPL NSW Women’s setup as a 13-year-old.

Throughout her years, the ambition of playing in Australia’s top tier Women’s competition was always high on the talented attacker’s radar and her dream was realised when Western United came knocking on the door for the 2023/24 A-League Women’s season.

“Initially, I was in contact with a few A-League Women’s clubs, before spending the first 2 weeks pre-season at WSW.

“In the midst of this, Western United FC Head Coach Mark Torcaso reached out and offered me to come down to Melbourne for a week to train/trial and I was up for the challenge.

“After a few training sessions and a pre-season trial game, I was beyond grateful to be offered a contract.

“This led to me relocating from Sydney.”

It was great way to end what was a tough season De Domizio endured at Sydney Olympic as the club missed out on playing finals football.

“As a team, I feel it was difficult for us to achieve consistency throughout the year, compared to previous seasons,” De Domizio stated.

“This can be attributed to a range of factors such as player rotations and injuries.

“However, there were some great moments too.

“On an individual level, my mentality from the start of pre-season was to ensure I elevated my game compared to last year, took full advantage of the opportunities presented to me and to grow in confidence.

“I put in a lot of work outside team training to fine-tune my skills and attributes while working on weaknesses and this evidently led to advancements in my game and growth as a football player physically and mentally.”

NPL plays key role in Tegan Bertolissio’s development

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The National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition has played a pivotal role in promising young gun Tegan Bertolissio’s football development that saw the 17-year-old earn herself an A-League Women’s contract with Canberra United following a successful season with the Macarthur Rams.

A regular feature in Stephen Peters’ squad this season, the versatile defender starred in what was a breakout year for the former Junior and now Young Matilda as she paid full credit to the NPL NSW Women’s competition.

“I believe the NPL NSW Women’s competition has had a massive impact on my development,” Bertolissio stated to Football NSW.

“This year was my first time playing in the women’s first grade competition and looking back at my performance from round 1 to the last round of the season, I feel I have grown and progressed as a footballer.

“Being able to learn from and play with and against a lot of experienced first grade players has played a big role in my development.”

Finishing runners-up to APIA Leichhardt FC for the Premiership, the Rams hit another gear in the finals series which saw them clinch a second successive Championship following a 2-0 victory over the Bulls FC Academy in the Final.

Bertolissio played a massive role in the Rams’ pursuit for silverware in 2023 so much so, she also earned herself a spot in this year’s NPL NSW Women’s ‘Team of the Year’ following her consistent performances that caught the attention of many, including Canberra United.

Not bad for a youngster that made the sudden jump from reserve grade football this season.

“The whole year for me has been one to remember.

“Coming from playing reserve grade all last year, to then making a big step up and playing my first season in first grade has been a time of transition and development for me.

“I had to work extremely hard to earn to the respect from my new teammates coming into the team and contest against quality players to earn my starting spot in the team at Macarthur Rams.”

Speaking on how the Canberra United offer came about, Bertolissio stated that it was thanks to the NPL she had the exposure to showcase her talent which caught the attention of Head Coach Njegosh Popovich.

“It all came about thanks to a midweek NPL NSW Women’s match with the Rams when I remembered seeing Njegosh watching.

“The following day my Dad got a phone call and it all started from there.”

Set for a massive A-League Women’s season, Tegan has also been ultra proud of her brother Joel, who too, has gained national attention thanks to the NPL following a huge year with the Bulls FC Academy which earned him a spot in Mile Sterjovski’s A-League side.

It’s been that competitive nature that has certainly spurred the Bertolissio siblings at home to reach new heights as Tegan further explained.

“It’s a very competitive household but Joel and I push each other to be better.

“We can both relate to each other’s football experiences, and we help each other through the highs and lows of football.

“When he watches my games, he is not afraid to critique me on how I can improve my game.

“As much as I hate him telling me what to do, I respect what he says because he is a very intelligent footballer.

“Having Joel has definitely helped me to develop as a young footballer.”

NPL NSW Women’s and Girls Youth League One Grand-Final Details Announced

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Football NSW has announced this Sunday’s 2023 NPL NSW Womens & Girls Youth League One Grand-Finals set to take place at Valentine Sports Park.

In what promises to be a massive day for the top tier women’s competition across six age groups, each match will no doubt bring excitement, drama, and intrigue as we look set to unearth new Champions in 2023.

NPL NSW Women’s 2023 Grand Final Fixtures 

  • U14 – Sydney University SFC v APIA Leichhardt – 8:15am
  • U15 – APIA Leichhardt v Blacktown Spartans – 10am
  • U16 – Illawarra Stingrays v Sydney University SFC – 10am
  • U18 – NWS Spirit FC v Blacktown Spartans – 12pm
  • Reserve Grade – NWS Spirit FC v FNSW Institute – 3pm
  • First Grade – Bulls FC Academy v Macarthur Rams – 6pm

Football NSW have worked to balance the scheduling where clubs that have multiple teams in the Grand Final are scheduled to play back-to-back or staggered kick off times to enable player and club support.

Football NSW were unable to play all matches in consecutive order due to lighting restrictions at Valentine Sports Park and the aim is to ensure the First Grade match kick’s off at 6pm or as close as possible to 6pm to ensure no issues with lighting being impacted.

Ground entry is free of charge.

NPL.TV will broadcast live both the NPL NSW Women’s Reserve and First Grade matches respectively.

Phonsongkham loving life at Bankstown City

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Since joining Bankstown City in round 9, Susan Phonsongkham has been unstoppable, and is already the team’s leading goal scorer in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s Competition. 

After a strong season with Perth Glory in the A-league Women’s competition, Phonsongkham says she is excited to come home and take on a big attacking role with Bankstown. 

“It’s great to be back home and getting regular game time.”

The 22-year-old is also very grateful for the opportunity to move to the club after previously playing for Sydney Olympic and the Football NSW Institute. 

“The environment and the coaching there [at Bankstown City] is really good.”

Phonsongkham admits she wasn’t certain if she would play in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition this season, after a successful stint overseas with Icelandic side Knattsprynufélag Reykjavíkur (KR) in last year’s A-League Women’s off-season. 

However, the opportunity to play as a striker at a club close to home was a big drawcard to her signing with Bankstown City. 

“In the A-League Women’s, I’ve played a lot as a winger and in the midfield, but playing as a striker, it’s completely different. 

“Knowing that I’m playing striker, my main goal is to score in each game.”

Although she may not have scored in every game, Phonsongkham has netted 9 goals in just 8 games, topping the list of goal scorers at Bankstown City. 

She is no stranger to goals in this competition, having won the Golden Boot award in 2019 playing for Sydney Olympic, a season where she scored 20 goals. 

Bankstown are coming off an impressive 3-2 win which saw them become the first team to defeat ladder leaders APIA Leichhardt this season. 

Phonsongkham shone for the Lions, scoring 2 goals within the first 5 minutes to help secure the victory. 

It was a great outcome for the team, who at times this year have struggled to win games. Despite only 2 losses on their record, they have had 8 draws in their 2023 campaign. 

Phonsongkham believes the key to turning those draws into wins is being able to finish off chances in front of goal. 

“We need to be clinical with the opportunities we create.

“I think those draws aren’t the negative side of things because we didn’t lose the game, we just drew.”

Phonsongkham is hoping that the team can finish the season strongly and be pushing for a spot in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s finals, which would be the first time for the club.

“I just want to do well for the team and do what I can to help them make the finals.”

-By Annabelle Banfield

 

Bankstown City FC praised at NSW Parliament

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National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s side Bankstown City FC were recognised for their efforts in 2022 thanks to the Independent Member for Bankstown Tania Mihailuk at recent NSW Parliament gathering.

The Independent Member for Bankstown was proud of how the ambitious club performed this year stating the continual growth of the women’s game within the football mad area.

“Bankstown City Lions Football Club had their best ever season on record in the 2022 NSW NPL Women’s Competition,” Mihailuk stated.

“The Club has grown tremendously over the past decade in Football NSW Women’s Competitions.

“From their first season in only 2013, Bankstown City Lions is now one of the leading Clubs in our State, giving opportunities for local girls to develop their football skills at the semi-professional level, and enabling girls and women in Bankstown to progress into the A-League Women’s or the Matildas such as Mary Fowler, who played for Bankstown.

“Under the leadership of Club Treasurer, Women’s Convenor and Charles Valentine Medal winner Denise Hinton, Bankstown finished 6th this season and were only 1 win short of a finals place.

“The Club’s football department is led by Matt Constatini and Paul Constatini whose professionalism played a key role in making Bankstown have their best ever finish in NSW Women’s competitions.

“The future looks bright at Bankstown City Lions NPL Women’s. The junior teams look strong for 2023 and I believe that the Club will challenge for the NPL Women’s title next year.

“It is an exciting time for women’s football in Bankstown.”